Kevin Przygocki: Future Olympian?

One of its biggest fans is Kevin Przygocki, a 15-year old from Bay City, Michigan. Debbie McCormick, a Goldline distributor in the United States, recently sent us this story about Kevin whose interest in the sport dates back to 2006, the year in which Goldline ambassador, Brad Gushue, won the Olympic gold medal in Pinerolo, Italy.

In 2006, I watched for the first time the sport of curling on TV during the Winter Olympics. Each week we drove by the old Midland Curling Club and I would ask my Mom if I could go in there. She laughed and thought I was not serious about it. At the time I was very small and she did not think that this was the sport for me. The next summer when I was ten, my Grandma signed me up for swim lessons at the Midland Community Center. Across the parking lot I noticed a large new building that said Midland Curling Center. I asked if I could go in but it was closed for the summer. When fall began, I went to the open house and signed right up. I started my first lessons on Sundays with Coach Janice Hawrelak and Coach Ken Moore. They both have taught me so much about the sport I can’t even begin to thank them. The sport of curling has taught me to be a team player and use good sportsmanship not only on the ice but off.

Midland Curling Center

Last year I saved my birthday money and bought my first CB Goldline Broom at the Tim Horton’s Brier in London, Ontario. I really loved the look of this broom and thought it would be great to be able to design my own broom. So the past year I have been looking at the Goldline website to see what I would put on my broom if I could design one. This year is our club’s 50th anniversary and I thought what better way to celebrate it than to design an anniversary broom. My mom told me if I wanted another broom this time I would have save the money or earn it on my own. I started over the summer doing odd jobs like mowing lawns, landscaping and now raking leaves to save the money. I finally reached my goal a few weeks ago and can now order my broom!

I really enjoy playing any and all positions and I now curl three times a week. Last year I mostly played as a Skip but this year I plan to play where ever needed as long as I am on the ice!

The curling world needs more Kevins! The sport’s growth and success depend on getting youth involved in the sport. Many of the junior curlers I have spoken with tell me they took up curling because their parents curled and registered them for the local Little Rocks program at their club. Yet, how do we appeal to those whose parents’ footsteps haven’t made their way into a curling club? Television exposure clearly helps our sport (hopefully you took in some of the Sportsnet and CBC coverage of the Grand Slam curling event last week!). And there are programs such as Rocks and Rings, from Rock Solid Productions, that help introduce the sport to many who have not experienced it first hand.